Musical instrument



F. ZAMECNI'K.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 8, 1919. 1,340,098. Patented May 11,1920.

fw INVENTDPY F. ZAMECNIK.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 8, 1919.

Patented May 11, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

l I do oooo\ooooo Q- M INVENTUR.

UNITED STATES PATENT UFFICE.'

FRANK ZAMECNIK, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

i Application filed March 8,

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, FRANK ZAnncNIK, a citizen of the Republic of Bohemia, residing at llfashington, District of Columbia, have invented a new and useful Musical Instrument, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in stringed musical instruments, and has for one of its objects to simplify the construction and improve the manner of holding and applying strain to the strings.

Another object of the invention is to iinprove the construction of the casings of stringed musical instruments to improve the tone and reduce the expense of manufacture and also to increase the strength and stability.

lith these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction as hereafter shown and described and specifically pointed out in the claims; and in the drawings illustrative of the preferred embodiment of the i Vvention.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the improved instrument, partly in section.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged elevation of the head portion of the device arranged for instrument of six strings.

Fig. i is an enlarged elevation of the. head portion of the device arranged for an instrument of twelve strings.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional detail of one of the straining pins.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of one of the locking washers.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the guide pin member, detached.

The improved device includes a body portion represented as a whole at 10, a neck portion represented as a whole at 11 and a head portion represented as awhole at 12.

The body portion 10 is constructed similar to the body portion of a guitar, of wood, with the inner faces of the side walls uniformly curved to avoid sharp corners and thus prevent deterioration of the tone.

The neck portion 11 is rigidly attached to the body portion in any suitable manner; for instance, by a dovetailed joint represented at 13, the body 10 being increased in thickness to increase the strength where the neck is connected, as shown.

The lower end of the body 10 is preferably enlarged to yform a base portion 14 Specification of Letters Iatent.

Patented May 11, 1920.

1919. seriai no. 281,339.

and is greatest in thickness at the base and decreases uniformly in thickness toward the end where the neck is joined thereto. The front faces of the body 10, the neck 11 and head 12 are continuous, or extend in straight lines throughout, while the rear faces are broken at the juncture of the neck and body, with a brace block 15 arranged to support the neck at the rear, as shown.

The head portion 12 is formed with an opening indicated at 16 therethrough and attached at itscnds to the head is a bridgbar 17 to carry string straining pegs of novel design, as hereafter explained.

The bar 17 is reduced at the ends, or halved, as indicated at 18, and engaged by the reduced portions in recesses or seats in the head 12, as shown in Fig. 2.

By this means the bar is firmly anchored in the head and enabled to resist the severe strains to which it will bc subjected by the pull of the strings.

The bar 17 is preferably arranged oblique to the longitudinal plane of the neck and body, as shown in Fig. 1, when applied to an ordinary instrument, or one having siX strings; but when applied to an instrument having a greater number of strings two or more of the bars may be employed and arranged as shown in Fig. 4L, with one-half of the straining pegs in each bar.

Another bar 19 is disposed transversely of the opening 16 and firmly anchored at its ends in the side members of the head 12 and provided with a plurality of depending pins 20, corresponding in number to the strings 21 of the instrument.

The head 12 is formed with a depression 22 in the lower or inner side of the opening 16, to provide a passage for the strings.

The fingering board portion of the instrument is represented at 23 and glued or otherwise attached to the neck 11 and extending over a portion of the body 10, the member The tuning pegs are of novel construction and correspond in number to the strings7 and, as they are precisely alike, the description of one will sulice for all. Each peg includes a tapered body portion 29 havingl a string receiving shank 30 and turning knob 31. rl`he smaller end of the peg 3() is threaded and provided With a nut 34 and Washer 33.

The bar 17 is preferably formed of a slightly yieldable substance or material such vulcanite r the like, while the pegs are of metal, preferably steel.

The tapered body portions 29 engage in correspondingly tapered seats in the member 17, and when strain is applied by actuating the nut 34 thetapered body portions will hold the pegs from backward rotation and thus retain the tension of the strings. The threaded portions of the studs 32 will be flattenedr at one side, as shown at while the opening in the Washer 33 will be correspondingly shaped as shown in Fig. G,

so that the Washer will be held from turning on the stud. Thebar 17 beingof vulcanite and the Washer pressed firmly againstthebar,` the peg Will be held from turning by friction, and the bar .Willserve as a friction lock to prevent retrograde movement of the nut.

The pegs will thus be firmly held in adjusted position.

The stringsare represented at 21, and, as before stated, are anchored at one end in the holding member 27, andpassed thence over the bridge 28 and through the recess 22 and beneath the bar 19 and thence respectively to the stock portionsBO ofthe pegs. The

strings in passing beneath the bar 19 are en gaged by the pins and maintained thereby in proper spaced relation.

By this simple arrangement the strin As are properly strained and maintained 1n strained relation.

The novel form of peg enables the proper strain to be maintained, and' the strain increased or decreased, as required, to secure the proper timing of the instrument.

lVhat I claim is:

1. A musical instrument including a head portion having an opening therethrough, a bar extending between the Walls of the head within the opening, a plurality of timing perfs carried by the bar, a supporting meinber` extending between the walls of the head within the opening, and a plurality of string guiding pins depending from. said support, the strings of the instrument passing heneath the support on their passage to the pegs and maintained in spaced relation by the pins.

Q. A musical instrument including a head portion having an opening therethrough, a bar extending between the walls of the head within the opening and having a plurality of tapering sockets, atuning peg for each of said sockets, each peg including a tapering body engaging a socket and a string receiving shank, means for applying stra-in to said pegs, a supporting. member extending hetiveen the Walls of the head within the opening thereof, and a plurality of guide pins depending from said support and adapted to maintain the strings in spaced relation on their 'passage to the pegs.

FRANK ZAMECNIK. 

